To Live and Love
by mArieXbLackxSN7
Summary: BEING REWORKED. Lily's final year at Hogwarts brings new friendships and hardships. She struggles as she tries to juggle her new feelings towards James Potter. Will she and James have a chance at a happy ending before Voldemort's terror tears them apart?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I'm reworking this story because it seemed a bit rushed. I'm going to be adding a few scenes and build character relationships. I'm hoping that these changes will make your reading experience more enjoyable :) Please be patient with me.

Disclaimer: The plot is mine, but the characters you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Lily Evans smiled brightly as she walked down the long corridor of the Hogwarts Express, only stopping when she reached the Heads' compartment. She inhaled deeply as her left hand went up to touch the Head Girl badge pinned neatly onto her robes, as if to check that it was still there and this was not a dream. Feeling the small, cool metal beneath her fingers, Lily nodded and beamed as she reached to open the compartment door, eager to meet the Head Boy. The smile melted off her face instantly when she saw the messy-haired boy asleep on one of the seats. "POTTER?"

James Potter bolted up from his declined position and had his wand out the next instant. His body was rigid and his eyes alert as they scanned the scene before him. He relaxed when he saw the red-head standing in the doorway. "Alright, Evans?" he greeted, pocketing his wand and smiling at the girl.

"What are you doing here?" Lily asked, enraged.

"I'm Head Boy," James replied simply. He turned slightly so that his badge was in view; his Quidditch Captain badge sat adjacent.

"You must be joking!" Lily shrieked. _What was Dumbledore thinking? James Potter in NOT Head Boy material!_

"But I'm not, Flower," James replied, a smirk playing on his lips. A soft knock on the door turned James' attention away from the angry Head Girl.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to remind you both that the meeting was supposed to start five minutes ago," a sandy-haired seventh year said. Remus Lupin smiled warmly as Lily, who returned the gesture. "How was your summer, Lily?"

"Rather enjoyable, Remus," Lily replied. Remus Lupin was the only Marauder Lily could ever stand being around. Unlike his friends, Remus was considerate of others' feelings and did not feel the need to go around hexing random people. Lily glared at James when the incident with Severus Snape during their fifth year replayed in her mind. "Remus, please tell me that Potter's lying. You're Head Boy… aren't you?" Lily asked hopefully.

"No, no. I'm only a Prefect this year Lily. James really is Head Boy." The shock was apparent in Lily's eyes as she stood there staring at the two friends. "This can't be happening to me…" she muttered quietly.

Remus glanced at his friend, who looked quickly away from him. Even so, the werewolf did not miss the hurt look in James Potter's eyes. "We should probably go…" Remus suggested, breaking the silence. "The other Prefects –"

"Let's go," James muttered, pushing past Lily and Remus. Remus looked at Lily before following his friend out of the compartment, Lily following closely behind him.

* * *

The Great Hall was filled with chatter and laughter as the students of Hogwarts exchanged stories of what happened during their summer vacation. Lily laughed as she listened to Emmeline retell her various experiences during her vacation. Lily Evans, Emmeline Vance and Alice Prince have been inseparable since their first year – much like the Marauders. She smiled to herself as she looked at her friends; she was finally home again. Her eyes wandered a little further down the Gryffindor table and lingered on James Potter. He was laughing maniacally at something his partner-in-crime, Sirius Black, had said. Lily rolled her eyes before returning her attention back to her friends. How Potter became Head Boy, she would never know.

The chattering quieted as the double doors of the Great Hall opened and Professor McGonagall led a line of curious first years in. When the last first year was sorted into Ravenclaw, all four tables muted their clapping and celebrations and turned to look at the Headmaster. "To all new students, welcome; and to all returning, welcome back," he said, his eyes twinkling. "There are just a few words I would like to say before we all dig into an undoubtedly delicious feast. First, I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Wilkinson." A raven-haired woman stood as the Headmaster said her name. "As most of you may have been aware, a certain dark wizard has been striking fear into the hearts of many within the past few months. Many great witches and wizards have disappeared by the hand of Lord Voldemort," a majority of the Great Hall flinched when Dumbledore spoke the name. "However, I would like to remind each and every one of you that as long as we stick together, no harm can be done. For nothing is stronger than the bonds of friendship. We must all unite within so that we can defeat the evil outside our walls. I would like to stress how important it is that _no student_" Dumbledore's eyes flicked towards the Marauders, "goes off grounds after hours. Also, would the Head Boy and Girl meet me after the feast? Now, dig in."

Chatter started again as food began to magically appear onto the tables. Lily looked over towards the Marauders, curious as to why Dumbledore seemed to have aimed the last part of his speech at them. She knew that they were trouble-makers, but not even they would be stupid enough to run around after hours while a dark wizard was on the loose, would they? James eyes made contact with hers and Lily immediately looked away as blood started rushing to her face. _No, I am NOT blushing. Potter should not have this effect on me…_

Lily Evans stood and waited as the Prefects of each house gathered the first years and led them off towards their common rooms. She stole a quick glance over at James Potter, who was getting up from his seat and saying goodbye to his friends. "I'll see you guys later," Lily said to Emmeline and Alice as she also got up and walked cautiously towards Potter. She noticed Sirius Black nudged the Head Boy before smirking and walking away.

James took a deep breath and turned around to face Lily. "Ready to go, Evans?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He felt her stiffen and immediately dropped his arm, not wanting to cause a scene the first night back. The two walked to the Headmaster's office in silence. James would steal quick glances at the red-haired girl every so often as they walked. He remembered the suggestion Remus had given him during the summer about easing off Lily. According to his werewolf friend, doing so would help James a lot more than his constant pestering of the girl. Both Gryffindors stopped in front of a rather old looking gargoyle. "You don't happen to know the password, do you?" James asked, inspecting the statue in front of him.

"If I did, don't you think I would have said it by now, Potter?" Lily retorted.

"Cauldron Cake," came a voice from behind the two, and immediately the gargoyle moved, twirling upward to reveal a spiral staircase.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Lily exclaimed.

"My apologies, Miss Evans. I did not mean to frighten you," the old wizard said before leading the way up to his office. James motioned for Lily to go and followed her up the stairs. Dumbledore settled himself into the large red chair behind his desk and motioned to the two chairs opposite him. Both students sat, waiting patiently for the old man to speak. "First off, I would like to congratulate both of you. I expect you will both work hard and respect your duties. The other reason of our meeting is so I can show you both to your new living quarters." Dumbledore got up from his seat and both James and Lily followed suit.

Lily looked over at James curiously as they followed the Headmaster down the hallways. _Living quarters? Did Dumbledore really expect her and James to live together? Alone?_ James did not at all seem surprised about this bit of information. They stopped at the portrait of a knight in black armor. "Sir Callaway," Dumbledore greeted, and then turned to the two Heads. "It is up to you to come up with the password for your common room. Good night."

James watched as Dumbledore turned the corner and disappeared. "So…erm. What should our password be?" he asked quietly.

Lily looked at him briefly before turning towards the black knight. "Carpe diem," she said and walked into the room behind the portrait. James followed her into the room, only to find it to be a smaller version of the Gryffindor common room. Straight ahead, an identical portrait of the Fat Lady hung; Lily guessed it led to the Gryffindor common room. On either sides of the common room were doors. James walked over to the door on the right and read the plaque on it:

**James Potter**

**Head Boy**

**Gryffindor Quidditch Captain**

"**Prongs" the Marauder**

Lily walked towards the door on the left and read her much shorter plaque:

**Lily Evans**

**Head Girl**

Lily sighed as she opened the door to her room and stepped in, gasping at the sight that welcomed her. There were green sheets on her bed, and two of her walls were covered with books. An oak desk was positioned on the opposite side of her bed. Lily smiled. Her room was perfect. She walked over to her trunk at the end of the bed and changed before crawling into the comfortable sheets and falling asleep.

* * *

The Head Girl woke up the next morning feeling refreshed. She grabbed a towel and left her room for the bathroom, only to find that it was already being occupied. "You've got to be kidding me!" she said, annoyed that she was expected to share a bathroom with James Potter. She turned to walk back to her room and noticed James' door was open. Curiously, she walked over and pushed the door open even further. James' bed was Gryffindor colors. His walls were covered with pictures of Quidditch teams. On his desk was a picture of the Marauders, one which Lily guessed was of his mom and dad, and one of… Lily. She heard the water turn off and rushed out of the Head Boy's room. Just as she moved the door to the position it was in prior, the bathroom door opened and a half-naked James Potter stepped out. Lily couldn't help but stare. She had to give it to him, he sure was fit. _What are you thinking, Lily? This is James Potter we're talking about!_ Lily shook her head slightly and walked past Potter into the bathroom, determined to keep hidden the pink that was creeping onto her cheeks.

* * *

James Potter greeted his friends before taking a seat besides Remus Lupin. He looked over at his best friend, Sirius Black, who sat opposite him and Peter Pettigrew who sat next to Sirius. "What's so funny?" he asked, raising his eyebrows as Sirius began to snicker.

"How'd you sleep last night, Prongsie?" Sirius asked, winking at his friend. James laughed half-heartedly when he realized what his friend was implying.

"Nothing happened, Padfoot. She still hates me." The Head Boy turned when he heard the voice of the Gryffindor Head of House behind him.

"Your schedule, Mr. Potter," she said, handing his the paper. "I see Miss Evans is not present at the moment, so if you wouldn't mind giving this to her as well," the professor said, handing James a second schedule. James nodded and looked over at his classes, groaning when he saw that his first class was Potions with Slytherins. He looked up to see Lily walking towards the table.

_She looks like an angel_. James got up and walked over to Lily. "Hey James!" Alice greeted him, offering a welcome smile. Emmeline waved enthusiastically as she struggled to swallow the large amount of food in her mouth.

"Mornin' Alice," James replied, returning the smile. "Em," he said, nodding in her direction. The messy-haired boy turned to look at Lily, who seemed to be focusing all of her attention on cutting her pancakes. "McGonagall wanted me to give you this," he said, holding out Lily's schedule. She took it without reply. James shrugged at the two girls looking up at him sympathetically before turning and walking back over to his friends.

"You really should be a lot nicer to him, Lily," Alice said once James was out of earshot. "He really is a good guy."

"HA! Yeah, and all good guys go around hexing people for fun," the redhead retorted.

"Alice is right, Lils. Why don't you just cut the crap and admit that you love him already," Emmeline added. Lily did not answer, but instead glanced over at the Head Boy. He was laughing at something Sirius said. She shook her head, unwilling to believe that such an egotistical prankster could ever grow up.

"I don't and you know it, Em. Hell would freeze over before anything like that would ever happen."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Thanks for those who are continuing to read! The first chapter didn't have many changes, just a few changes to detail. Since I had the second chapter ready already, I wasn't going to make you wait for it. There is a small change in this chapter as well, mainly explaining why James' detention went so late. Any major changes will probably start appearing in the next chapter... So, here it is! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The plot is mine; all characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

"I still think you should give up on Evans, mate," Sirius Black said as he and James walked into the Potions classroom, closely followed by Remus and Peter.

"You don't understand, Padfoot. I _love_ her." James followed his best friend over to the desk nearest the door and sat down. Sirius sighed. He knew better than to argue with James when it came to Lily Evans.

"So… full moon is this Saturday," Sirius said, changing the subject. "What's the plan, mates?" A mischievous smile appeared on his handsome face. Remus groaned softly and opened his mouth to speak, but before he had gotten the chance, Professor Slughorn burst into the room looking livid.

To say that Professor Slughorn was in a bad mood was an understatement. By the end of the lesson, he had managed to snap at almost everyone on the class for one reason or another. A handful of detentions were also given to those who dared to protest. James stood up from his seat grumpily when the class ended; annoyed that he had received detention the first day back. What annoyed him more was that he would have to miss patrolling with Lily due to Slughorn's bad mood. Lily was obviously not happy about his reason for skipping out on patrols either when she glared at him before shoving past him out of the classroom. "You guys go," he said to his friends. "I'm gonna try and talk to Slughorn." Sirius nodded and Remus wished him luck before they too left the room.

James walked up to the professor's desk cautiously. "Erm… professor?" he asked, watching the man roughly stack a pile of parchment in a drawer. He continued when he did not hear a response. "I was just wondering if… maybe I could serve my detention another night? I'm supposed to do rounds tonight, and well –"

"No," came the abrupt answer from the Potions master. James opened his mouth to protest, but closed it, realizing it was probably no use. He swung his bag over his shoulder and left the room to catch up with the Marauders. As he rounded the corner, he bumped into someone and stumbled backwards.

"Sorry," the Head Boy mumbled as he regained his balance.

"_Potter_," a loathing voice came from in front of him. James looked up and recognized the face of Severus Snape.

"_Snivellus_," James said, staring daggers at the Slytherin before him. He noticed Snape's eyes move from his face to the Head Boy badge pinned to his robes.

"_You're_ Head Boy?" the greasy-haired boy shrieked, his face getting red with rage.

"Yes," James replied coolly, taking a step forward. "Now if you'll excuse me," he said, trying to get past his human barrier. The Gryffindor shoved past roughly and began to walk away when an orange flash was sent towards him, nicking his right cheek. He turned around angrily to see Snape's wand pointed at him. James' hand went towards his wand as Snape fired another spell at him, causing him to fly backwards and land painfully on his back. He groaned as he pushed himself up and snatched his wand out of his pocket. "Densaugeo!" James scoffed as the Slytherin's teeth began to grow rapidly.

"POTTER!" shrieked an enraged Lily Evans as she came running towards the two boys. She ran over to Snape and muttered the counter-curse before lashing out on the Head Boy. "I can't believe you! I can't believe Dumbledore thought you were good enough to be Head Boy! I don't know what he was thinking!"

"Lily, I –"

"Don't even bother, Potter! I don't want to hear it," she interrupted.

"But I didn't – "

"You disgust me. You're such a prat. I don't understand what everyone else – "

"I get it, okay?" James shouted, cutting her off. He glanced past her and saw a smile appear on Snape's smug face. Shaking his head, James Potter turned and walked away as he felt the tears starting to build up in his eyes.

Lily watched him turn the corner before turning around to face Snape. She did not know why she helped him. He was no longer a friend of hers; not after the incident in their fifth year. Lily looked at her ex-friend sadly before also walking away, leaving the heartbroken Slytherin alone in the dungeons.

* * *

James Potter stormed into the Gryffindor common room and threw his bag onto the ground before plopping himself down next to Peter. The plump boy took one look at his friend and whimpered as he moved himself slightly away from James. Remus raised his eyebrows at Sirius, who shrugged, before turning to the hazel-eyed Gryffindor. "Everything alright?" he asked tentatively, leaning slightly forward.

"I DON'T GET IT!" James shouted, causing Peter to jump out of his seat and scurry to hide behind Sirius and Remus.

"…Don't get what, mate?" Sirius asked, eyeing James carefully.

"Why Evans hates me! I've never done anything to her. I even changed for her, but none of that is good enough for her. I'm done!" the frustrated young man shouted furiously, throwing his hands up in the air. "I give up."

The three Marauders exchanged looks with each other, wondering what had happened to put their friend in such a mood. "'Bout time, Prongs," Sirius finally said, breaking the tense silence between the four. He walked over and sat next to James, slapping his friend on the back playfully. "How 'bout a trip to Honeydukes tonight, eh boys?" the handsome boy suggested.

"Can't. I've got detention with Slughorn tonight," James replied, his mood, if at all possible, dropped even further. He exhaled as he got up from his seat and grabbed his bag. "I'll see you lot tomorrow, then," he said before exiting the Gryffindor common room.

The Head Boy poked his head into the Potions Master's office, looking around. "Professor?" he asked, taking a step inside. A single piece of paper on Slughorn's desk caught his attention and he walked over to read the contents. James groaned as he deciphered Slughorn's messy writing, telling him that he was to serve his detention with Professor Wilkinson. Crumpling the paper up and stuffing it into his pocket, the seventh year made his way to the third floor and knocked on the office door of Professor Wilkinson. He heard her say "come in" through the thick wood and turned the knob to enter the office.

"Ah, Mr. Potter," the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor greeted him, smiling sweetly. James narrowed his eyes at the lady; there was something about her that unsettled him. Shaking his thoughts away, James nodded politely towards the woman.

"I'm supposed to –" he started before he was interrupted by her girly voice.

"Yes, yes. Professor Slughorn is… busy tonight and has agreed to let me supervise your detention," Wilkinson said from behind her desk. She held out her arm, gesturing to the desk not far from her own. James nodded and walked over, sitting down on the ancient looking chair. He waited patiently for the professor to speak, and when she did not, he turned around only to find her staring at him. James shrunk back in his chair, looking away from her gaze. He could feel her eyes boring holes into the side of his face, and he shifted uncomfortably.

"Erm… Professor?" She awoke from her trance when his voice broke the eerie silence in the dimly lit room. It appeared to James as though she did not remember where she was for a moment. He watched as she quickly composed herself again before turning and smiling at him, sending chills down his spine.

"I would like a vial of Draught of the Living Dead by the end of your detention," the woman said as she waved her wand and the ingredients appeared in front of him. James turned around slowly and started crushing the asphodel root, slightly confused as to why she wanted such a strong sleeping potion. He worked in silence for the next hour, occasionally sneaking a glance at his strange professor only to see her gaze constantly on him. He carefully filled a vial of the potion and capped it before standing up and stretching his limbs. After clearing the mess on the desk, James walked over Wilkinson's desk and placed the vial onto the dark oak. Professor took a quick glance at the vial, picked it up, and threw it away. "That one was unsatisfactory, please make another one."

"But, Professor…"

"You will not leave this classroom until you come up with a satisfactory potion, Mr. Potter!" Professor Wilkinson shouted, and then caught herself. Another sickenly sweet smile spread across her face. "Please make another potion, Mr. Potter."

Nodding, James trudged back to the desk and started again, taking extra precaution. An hour later, James once again cleaned up his work area and placed the second vial onto Professor Wilkinson's desk. She lifted the vial up and inspected it as if hoping there was some error. When she found none, she plastered on an unconvincing smile and dismissed him.

James walked out of the office sighing in relief. "That took forever…" he mumbled under his breath as he made his way to the Heads' common room. Stumbling into the dark room, James spotted an owl perching on his window sill. Catching sight of him, the owl flew off into the night. James raised a brow curiously, but thought nothing more of the unusual encounter.

* * *

Lily Evans lifted her head off her pillow when she heard the portrait swing open. A glance at the clock on her night stand confirmed that it was 12:54AM. What on earth was Potter doing out that late? Was he just coming back from his detention? The redhead sat up in her bed, wiping the sleepiness away from her eyes. She knew the Potter had gotten many detentions before, but none have ever gone this late. She had been waiting up for him since their encounter earlier in the day, hoping that she would get a chance to apologize for being so harsh. Lily cracked her door open only to see James' door shutting slowly. _I'll talk to him tomorrow…_ she decided, also closing her door and returning to bed.

That night, Lily fell into a restless sleep. Her dreams were haunted by an image of a pale man with snake-like features standing over a seemingly familiar boy. The pale man's cruel laughter rang in her ears, followed by an agonized scream. Lily scream as well as she shot up from her bed, dripping in sweat.

* * *

James relived the previous night's detention to his friends as the four walked down to the Great Hall together. "What a freak," Peter said, struggling to keep in stride with the much taller boys.

"She wants you mate," Sirius joked, clapping James on the back. Remus, however, remained silent. Something was bothering him, but he did not know what. James laughed as they entered the Great Hall, causing several students and professors to turn in their direction. Sirius winked and waved at many of his fan girls as they passed, causing the girls to either break into tears of joy or hyperventilate. James' fan girls looked at him hopefully, only to turn back in their seats disappointed when he showed them no care.

Sirius and Peter loaded their plates with food as soon as they sat down. Remus spread butter neatly on his toast, disappearing behind the Daily Profit. James looked curiously at his werewolf friend who had paled dramatically. "What's up?" he asked as he put down his fork and raised his brow. When his friend did not answer, James snatched the newspaper out of his hands and saw what had caused Remus' reaction. The headline of the Daily Profit read: **Death Eater's Rampage Kills Nine**. Below the story, a list of the deceased was listed along with a photo of each. James' heart dropped when he saw his father and mother smiling and waving back at him.

He barely felt Remus' hand on his shoulder as his mind tried to process what he had just read. _No. It can't be true…_ "I need some air," he whispered, walking away from the Gryffindor table. Sirius looked like he was about to get up and join James, but Remus' firm hold on his shoulder kept him from doing so.

"He needs some time alone, Sirius. To think…"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The plot is mine; all characters that you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

"So?" Emmeline Vance asked as the three Gryffindor girls walked down the stairs to the Great Hall. "Did you end up talking to James last night? How'd it go?"

"No," Lily sighed, jumping over the trick step. "He had detention last night and didn't come back to the common room until near one o'clock last night."

"That's odd," Alice Prince chimed in. "Isn't that awfully late for detention?" Lily nodded as the three girls turned to enter the Great Hall. "Look, there he is," Alice said, nodding her head towards the far end of the Gryffindor table where the Marauders normally sat. She spotted Frank Longbottom and smiled brightly before turning to her friends. "There's Frank. See you in class!" Alice yelled over her shoulder as she made her way over to her boyfriend.

"I envy her in some ways," Emmeline said as she and Lily slowly walked to their house table. Lily raised her eyebrows in confusion and waited for Emmeline to explain. "She and Frank are so happy together. Sometimes I just feel so out of the loop when I look at them."

"I'm not in a relationship either, Em," Lily pointed out, laughing at her friend.

"But James absolutely adores you; everyone knows that. Well… everyone but you," the brunette added jokingly. Lily did not say anything, but looked over at the Head Boy. James had risen from his seat and was walking towards them with a black expression on his face. Lily and Emmeline exchanged a look of curiosity and slowed down, expecting James to meet up with them. He did not stop, however, but walked right past them. It was like he didn't notice they were there.

"I'm gonna go talk to him," Lily said as she turned to follow to head of messy black hair. Emmeline nodded and continued towards the Gryffindor table.

Sirius looked up as Emmeline arrived and sat opposite him. "Alright Vance?" he greeted.

"What's wrong with Potter?" she asked instead of greeting him back. The girl's straightforwardness was one of the qualities that Lily always admired in her friend; Emmeline was never afraid to speak her feelings.

The three Marauders looked at each other solemnly. Remus slid the newspaper to her. "James' parents died last night," he said sadly. "Death Eaters."

"That's horrible…" Emmeline gasped, sinking into the seat next to Remus.

"Yeah, so do us all a favor and tell your friend to lay off him for a while, okay? He's had enough to deal with and doesn't need her constantly telling him off," Sirius said angrily. Emmeline opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out. Instead, she pushed the paper aside and scooped some eggs onto her plate.

"Lily isn't that unreasonable…" she whispered under her breath.

* * *

"Hey! Potter!" Lily yelled, trying to get the boy's attention as she ran after him. "Potter! POTTER! … James!"

James stopped in his tracks. _Did Lily Evans just call me James?_ He turned around and lost balance as a mess of red hair fell on top of him. _Ow… that hurt._ "Lily?"

"Why would you stop suddenly like that?" she yelled. "Ow…" she rubbed where her forehead hit James' chest as she sat up.

"You were the one that bumped into me!"

"I wouldn't have bumped into you if you had just stopped when I called you the first time!"

"How can you be so unreasonable?"

"How can you be so frustrating?"

James took a breath and took a good look at the girl in front of him. Her hands were clenched into fists. He couldn't help but laugh. "Relax, Evans, before you hurt yourself." He stood up and offered a hand to the girl on the ground. Lily swatted his hand away and straightened out her skirt as she stood. "So... Did you have something you wanted to tell me?"

"What?" she yelled, still annoyed.

"You were calling my name."

"Oh, I…" Lily stopped. She never actually thought about what she would say to James. "About the other day… with Sev – I mean, with Snape…" she paused again; this was a lot harder than she thought. James looked at her expectantly. "What I'm trying to say is, well… I'm sorry." She mumbled the last part, forcing James to lean down just to hear what she was trying to say.

James smiled, amused. "It's all forgotten," he replied. _She always seems to have a way of making me feel better without even knowing it._

Lily looked up at him. _He's actually really handsome when he smiles… Wait, what are you thinking Lily Evans?_ "I – are you alright?"

"Huh? Oh, I –" _She will probably just think I'm trying to win her sympathy…_ "Yeah."

Lily scrunched her eyebrows together; something seemed off about James Potter. Her hand went up to her stomach as it grumbled loudly.

"Do you want to go back to the Great Hall? Seems like you haven't eaten yet," James suggested.

"Oh, no it's fine. I have to go to class anyway." She looked down at her watch. "No! I'm late!" She turned and ran up towards the stairs. James smiled as he watched her scurry up the stairs. He turned and walked towards the grounds once again. He would skip Defense Against the Dark Arts today, he didn't feel like seeing Professor Wilkinson anyway.

* * *

"I can't believe she gave me detention!" Lily vented, flustered as she and Alice walked out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Professor Wilkinson had given Lily detention the moment she walked in for being two minutes late to class.

"I know, it's so unfair," agreed Alice. "It's not even like she even began teaching yet."

Sirius, Remus and Peter walked up behind the two girls. "Are you alright, Lily?" Remus asked.

Lily sighed heavily. "Yeah, I suppose I am."

"Don't be too upset, Evans. Detention isn't too bad," Sirius smirked. "I never in my life thought that the great Lily Evans would ever receive detention though," he laughed.

"Sirius," Remus warned, seeing that Lily was getting angrier by the second.

"Alright, alright, I get it."

"It's okay, Lily," Peter cheered. "James and Sirius get detention all the time and –"

"Oi, where is James?" Sirius asked, interrupting the dumpy boy.

"Right here," James replied, walking towards them.

"You alright, mate?" Sirius asked with concern, taking the extra strides over to his friend's side. James nodded. "Where have you been?"

"Mr. Potter," a sweet voice interrupted from behind Lily, startling her.

"Professor!" Lily exclaimed, holding her hand over her heart.

Professor Wilkinson ignored the girl, walking right past her towards James and Sirius. "Follow me, Mr. Potter." James sighed, shrugged, and waved to his friends before turning and following her to her office.

* * *

"What do you think is taking him so long?" Sirius asked anxiously.

"It's only been fifteen minutes, Sirius. Calm down," Remus said, even though he was staring at the entrance to the Great Hall himself. Lily, who was sitting a few seats down from the Marauders, also caught herself glancing at the entrance of the Great Hall every now and then.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Peter asked curiously. He looked to Remus and Sirius for an answer, but then got distracted. "There he is!" Pettigrew exclaimed. Lily, having heard Peter from where she was sitting, perked up in her seat.

"Miss me?" James said, plopping himself down next to Sirius.

"JAMESIE!" Sirius greeted, hugging his best friend tightly. James pried Sirius off his body, laughing. "So, what did she want, mate?"

"To lecture me about missing class," James replied. "I've got detention again."

Lily had been listening intently on the conversation the four boys were having a couple seats away from her. She smiled when she heard that James also had to serve detention with Professor Wilkinson as well. _Wait… why would that make me happy? I hate James Potter…don't I?_

* * *

James sagged into the armchair next to the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room after his last class ended. "Today was exhausting," he commented to no one in particular. His three friends nodded in agreement as they each took the three remaining chairs by the fireplace. James checked his watch and groaned. "Ugh, detention in twenty minutes…"

"Wonder what potion she'll have you make this time," Sirius pondered, somewhat amused. Remus, once again, remained silent. Something about Professor Wilkinson bothered him…

James looked up as Lily, Emmeline and Alice came through the portrait hole. Lily exchanged a nervous look with her friends before leaving them, walking over to the Marauders cautiously. "Hi Lily," Peter greeted happily.

"Hey Lily," Remus smiled,

"Alright Evans?" Sirius said, smirking.

James remained silent, but offered her a forced smile.

"Hey guys," Lily responded, waving at the friends. She then turned her attention to James. "James, I heard that you are also serving detention with Professor Wilkinson tonight. I was hoping that maybe, we could… never mind." She turned around to leave after stuttering quietly to the Head Boy.

James furrowed his brow. _Lily got detention?_ He looked over to his friends with a raised brow, wondering why they didn't tell him. "We thought you already knew," Remus replied as if reading James' mind. James nodded before standing up and going after Lily.

"Lily, wait!" he said as he took three quick strides over to her and her friends. "I'm heading down to see Wilkinson now, if you wanted to join."

"Oh, right, yeah," she replied, relieved that he offered to walk with her. It wasn't that she couldn't go herself, but for some reason, the idea of going with James did not seem as revolting as she would have normally thought.

"Right, let's go then," he said as he readjusted his bag on his shoulder and started towards the portrait hole. Lily grabbed her bag and ran after him.

The two Heads walked in silence the entire walk. Even so, Lily felt more at ease in the company of James Potter. She noticed that James hesitated at the Defense Against the Dark Arts' door before knocking three times quickly. Lily took a deep breath as the door swung open; she followed James inside. "Ah, Mr. Potter, Miss Evans, welcome" she said sweetly. "Please, take a seat." She motioned to the two desks sitting adjacent opposite her own. James led the way and Lily followed suit. On both desks were a stack on plain parchment, a quill, an inkwell and a stack of books. "I would like the both of you to write a three-foot essay about…" she paused, smiling contently to herself, then looked straight at James, "werewolves." James stiffened, but regained his composure quickly. He took a quick glance at Lily before beginning the assignment.

Lily didn't get it. The James Potter she knew never paid attention in class and always slacked off whenever given the chance; however, while she struggled filling the parchment, James breezed through it seemingly without difficulty. An hour later, James was already finished with his essay while she was barely halfway through. She noticed James peek over at her parchment before picking up his quill again. She smiled at the small gesture and continued writing; another hour passed before she was finished. She gathered up the things neatly on the desk and waited for James to do the same, then stood up. Both Gryffindors placed their essays on Professor Wilkinson's desk and waited patiently for her to dismiss them. The professor looked through both essays, taking her time doing so and then gave a slight nod, allowing them to leave. James let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and left with Lily in tow.

"Thanks for waiting for me…" Lily said as they approached the entrance of the Heads' common room.

"Don't worry about it, I wasn't finished anyhow." He recited the password and motioned for Lily to go into the common room first, then walked in after her. "Well, good night Lily," he said, heading towards his room.

Lily waited for his room door to close before plastering a wide grin on her face. "Good night, James."

* * *

Author's Note: So, what did you think? Let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading :)


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